The BBC is paying Lucy Adams's legal costs after a trade union made claims of
a "dirty tricks" campaign by her department.

A BBC human resources director accused of presiding over “corporate fraud and cronyism” over pay-offs to former executives is using licence fee money to pay her legal costs after a trade union made claims of a "dirty tricks" campaign by her department.

Lucy Adams, who is leaving her £320,000 role in March, was severely criticised by MPs on the Public Accounts Committee when she gave evidence in July about the controversial severance deals with senior BBC managers, including the £1 million paid to former deputy director general Mark Byford.

Conservative MP Stewart Jackson said the practice would be called “corporate fraud and cronyism” in any other organisation.

However, the BBC is paying Ms Adams's fees after she instructed lawyers to "take matters further" over what she claims are "highly defamatory" claims made by the National Union of Journalists, which published a statement in August about an alleged campaign by the BBC human resources department of "hacking staff emails and bullying employees into spying on colleagues".

In response to a Freedom of Information request seen by The Independent, the BBC has confirmed it is paying Ms Adam's legal costs.

It said: "As the NUJ article made serious and damaging allegations against Lucy Adams in her role as the BBC's Director of Human Resources, the BBC has agreed to fund the reasonable costs of Ms Adams seeking external legal advice."

It went on: "The funding currently covers the provision of legal advice to Ms Adams prior to the issue of proceedings and her lawyer's costs must be approved by the BBC in advance in incremental caps, with an explanation of the work that needs to be undertaken," it said.

Mr Jackson said the BBC appeared to have "learned nothing" from the recent exposure of "its largesse and profligacy with license-fee payers cash".